Webbed article and method and apparatus for producing same



March 6, 1962 1.. Looms 3,023,432

WEBBED ARTICLE AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SAME Filed June 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 t :(flJNVENTOR.

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March 6, 1962 1.. L. LOOMIS 3,023,432

WEBBED ARTICLE AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SAME Filed June 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,023,432 WEBBED ARTICLE AND METHOD AND APPARA- TUS FOR PRODUCING SAME Lester L. Loomis, Reuton, Wash., assignor to The Pioneer Rubber Company. Willard, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 5, 1959, Ser. No. 818,389 6 Claims. (Cl. 9-308) This invention relates to production of a webbed article such as a glove for use in swimming and to methods and apparatus for producing such articles.

Heretofore it has been proposed to provide articles such as swimming gloves in which single thickness webs were provided between the fingers. However, such gloves as have been proposed have required construction by uniting a number of separate pieces, have been diflicult to manufacture, or else have provided only very thin or weak webs in the articles.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing and other objections to known types of webbed articles and to provide a swimming glove or other article having a pair of spaced webs therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swim mitt with webs between the fingers and which affords a minimum resistance to movement of the fingers toward or away from each other, which provide for arching the hand with minimum resistance, and which provide a good strong web area to present to the water.

Other objects are to facilitate manufacture, to provide sufficient strength, to provide comfort, and to provide an article with integral double walled webs therein.

These and other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a dorsal view of the glove or mitt;

FIG. 2 is a volar view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a dorsal view glove;

FIG. 6 is a section through a two-compartment balloon of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a plan of the balloon of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings which show one embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates an article of the invention and including an integral hand covering of flexible elastic rubber or similar material having a metacarpal or palm-enclosing portion 11 and five finger cots 12, 13, 14, 15,, 16 connected thereto and integral therewith. Each finger cot is of tubular cross section from a position of the first interphalangeal joint of the finger outwardly to a closed, tip as can be seen in FIG. 3 but are connected to each other between the palm portion and the first interphal-angeal joint as hereinafter described.

The thumb cot 12 and the finger cot 13 are connected to each other by a hollow web portion 17 having closely spaced parallel dorsal and volar walls 18, 19 respectively, which are united at the sides of the adjoining cots 12 and 13 outwardly of the first interphalangeal joint area but are spaced apart inwardly thereof and open laterally to the spaces of the adjoining cots to provide greater freedom of movement. The space between the walls of the hollow webbed portions, 17 and similar parts of the glove of the invention is also open inwardly of the glove to the palm enclosing portion thereof. To provide for arching of the hand transversely, a bellows fold 20 is provided in the dorsal wall 18 intermediate of the cots.

of a form for making the In asimilar manner, the cots 13. and. 14 are connected by a similar double-walled web 21 having spaced dorsal and volar walls 22, 23, the cots 14 and 15 are connected by a similar double-walled webv 24 having spaced dorsal and volar walls 25, 26 and the cots 15 and 16 are connected by a double-walled web 27. Also each web has a dorsal wall, 22, 25 or 28, formed. intermediate the cots with a bellows fold 30, 31 or 32, adjacent the palm-enclosing or metacarpal portion providing an available fullness to promote flexure. The bellows folds are deepest where they join the palm-enclosing or metacarpal portion of the glove and diminish or slope outwardly to the region of the joints of the first phalanges with the second phalanges of the fingers, and. the cots are closed beyond the outer ends. of the bellows folds.

The dorsal and velar walls of the webs are joined at their outer margins in continuation of. each other and without any bead or. other; reinforcement which would interfere with their flexing.

Thus, it will be seen that the glOVe. may be made to snugly fit the fingers beyond the first phalange thereof with exceptionally flexible but strong hollow webs con-. meeting the cots while inwardly thereof the cots are laterally connected and bellows folds arev provided. to facilitate lateral arching of the hand and bending of the fingers,

The entire article may be made of onepiece in a single operation without any' seaming or cementing. For this purpose, a form such as that. shown in FIG. 5 may be employed and comprises a thick. main body or palmforming portion 33 and finger, or compartment forming portions 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 radiating. therefrom, the fingers being generally rounded in cross section and the fingers increasing in thickness toward and merging smoothly into the rounded palm-enclosing portion 33 of the form. Mounted between the fingers of the form. are relatively thin vanes 39, 40, 41, 42 which are joined to the adjoining fingers from their confluence to, a position beyond which it is desired to provide closed finger cots or about in the region of the first interphalangeal joints of the, fingers. Beyond that position, the fingers are separated from the vanes by slots 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50 of width substantially equal to the thickness of the vanes. The vanes are medially located between the dorsal and vol-ar surfaces of the form and extend to substantially the margin of the desired webs of the glove.

While the glove may be constructed by molding or other methods, I prefer to form the glove in a single operation by deposits of rubber-like material upon the form from a liquid solution or dispersion thereof, the form either after being treated or not with a chemical adapted to: promote deposition thereon, being dipped, in a solution or a dispersion either natural or artificial. of

7 rubber latex or other rubber-like material and being cured upon the form either by application of heat or of chemical substances.

The. finished article is stripped from the form and it will be found that the material has become united integrally through the slots 43,44, 45,46, 47, 48, 49 and 50 so. that the finger cots are completely closed beyond the outer joints of the first phalanges and webs of double-walled construction are, formed between the fingers, while fullness hasbeen provided nearer the palmenclosing portion by. bellows folds formedin the deposited material.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a two-compartment, balloon; 60 produced by the method of the invention. The balloon 60 has separate inflatable compartments 61 and 62 extending longitudinally thereof and joining at a common inflation neck 63 thereof. The balloon 60 has a double- Walled web 64, 64 connecting the compartments 61 and 62, which walls of the web are spaced from each other. The balloon 60 would be made on a form, like the form 33, where a web forming vane or member like the vanes 39, 40, etc. would extend up to the neck 63 of the balloon and combine with the main body of the form at such location.

It will be realized that the webs 64, 64 may have a special coating of latex rubber painted or otherwise applied thereon to make them resistant to inflation and cause initial inflation of the compartments 61 and 62.

Other articles, such as hot water or ice bags, for example, may be made by the process of the invention where a mold-compartment unitary article with double walled webs connecting the compartments of the article is desired.

Thus it will be seen that the objects of the invention have been accomplished and a glove has been provided without seaming, cementing, stapling, riveting or other fastening operations which has the desired strength and flexibility.

Where desired, the vane 39 may be subdivided by forming a slot 51 therein, as indicated in dot and dash lines in FIG. 5, in which case the resulting article would have the dorsal and volar walls formed on the vane 39 united along the course of the slot 51 by a wall, or web section to prevent buckling when the thumb is moved toward the palm of the hand. Hence a reenforcing web, or web section is formed between the thumb cot 12 and the finger cot 13.

While a certain embodiment and details have been shown to illustrate the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations may he made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A one-piece swimming glove comprising a palmenclosing portion, finger cots integral therewith, and webs between the finger cots, said finger cots being of tubular construction near the outer ends and terminating in closed tips, and said webs each comprising closely spaced parallel walls united to said finger cots at their margins, the outer margins of the parallel walls being united to each other, the dorsal wall of each web being formed with a bellows fold providing available fullness at the juncture of the web with the palm-enclosing portion, and said finger cots being laterally open to the space between the walls of adjacent webs in the region near the palm-enclosing portion of the glove.

2. A one-piece swimming glove comprising a portion adapted to enclose the metacarpal portion of the hand, finger-enclosing cots having closed tips radiating therefrom, and webs extending between the finger cots and attached thereto in a medial plane of the glove, said finger cots being of continuous uniform tubular cross section from the region of the outer ends, of the first phalanges to their outer closed tips, said webs being of hollow double-walled construction with the space between their dorsal and velar walls being open to merge with the space defined by said finger cots between the tubular portions of said cots and the metacarpal-enclosing portion.

3. A one-piece swimming glove comprising a portion adapted to enclose the metacarpal portion of the hand,

closed end finger-enclosing cots radiating therefrom, and webs extending between the finger cots and attached thereto in a medial plane of the glove, said finger cots being of continuous tubular cross section from the region of the outer ends of the first phalanges to their outer closed tips, said webs being of hollow double-walled construction with the space between their dorsal and velar walls being open at their radiallyinner ends to the space defined by said finger cots between the tubular portions of said cots and the metacarpal-enclosing portion, and the dorsal walls of said webs being formed with several bellows folds only adjacent the metacarpal portion to provide available fullness thereat, said bellows folds being of maximum size adjacent said metacarpal portion and decreasing gradually to blend into said webs.

4. A one-piece swimming glove comprising a palmenclosing portion and finger cots integral therewith, said finger cots being in continuation of the palm-enclosing portion and being each of tubular cross section throughout the portion thereof in the region of the interphalangeal joints and extending to a closed tip, and web portions extending between the finger cots and integral therewith, each web being a hollow portion of parallel closely spaced walls joined by a sealed connection at the radially outer margin of the web and opening into the palm-enclosing portion, the dorsal wall of each web having a bellows fold adjacent the metacarpal phalangeal joints of the hand to permit flexing in that region.

5. A one-piece swimming glove comprising a palmenclosing portion, finger cots integral with the palm-enclosing portion, and integral webs connecting to and extending between the finger cots, said finger cots being of tubular construction near their outer ends and terminating in closed tips, said webs each comprising closely spaced parallel walls united to said finger cots at their lateral margins, the radially outer margins of the parallel walls being united to each other to form a sealed web unit open to the palm enclosing portion of the glove, said finger cots also being open to the space at the palmenclosing portion of the glove, one of said finger cots at a lateral margin of the glove being spaced farther from the adjacent finger cot than the other end cot to receive the thumb of the wearer, the walls of said web between said one finger cot and the adjacent finger cot having a reenforcing web section extending therebetween.

6. A one-piece swimming glove comprising a palm-enclosing portion, finger cots integral therewith, and webs between the finger cots, said finger cots being of continuous walled, uniformly thick tubular construction in at least their outer end portions and terminating in closed tips, and said webs each comprising closely spaced parallel walls united to said finger cots at their lateral margins, the radially outer margins of the parallel walls being united to each other to form a sealed unit open to the palm-enclosing portion of the glove, said finger cots also being open to the space at the palm-enclosing portion of the glove, one of said finger cots at a lateral margin of the glove being spaced farther from the adjacent finger cot than the other end cot to receive the thumb of the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 733,303 Agnew July '7, 1903 1,163,053 Williams Dec. 7, 1915 1,669,010 Natho May 8, 1928 1,951,402. Gammeter Mar. 20, 1934 2,169,939 Anderson Aug. 15, 1939 2,324,375 Eslick July 13, 1943 2,704,372 Griger Mar. 22, 1955 2,834,937 Teague May 20, 1958 2,845,660 Peiler Aug. 5, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,914 Great Britain Mar. 12, 1890 

